Suggestions for milk goats...

[sillystunt]

I have been pondering nigerian dwarf goats....1-2 pints of milk, can milk for a year,have twins....
They are smallwhich would be great for us. Now to bribe the neighbor with goat fudge and soap....lol

i have seen girl kids for 150 with papers and bucklings 50

 

[Brandywine]

Hey! I've been tryin to decide what kind of milker to get, cant seem to make up my feeble mind so I figured I'd ask the experts and let yall tell me what your prefered breed is. I'm stuck between:

Nubian
Alpine
Oberhalsi (sp)

I need somethin that aint to overly obnoxious, that gives a lot of milk (if the taste varies by breed, what's the best,) and that aint gonna break the bank. I just need one (I've got a couple sheep for companions, would that work?)

Hey Scout, why not look for good-quality dairy breed (including crosses of dairy breeds) does near you, rather than decide on a breed and then look for just that breed?

It doesn't sound as if you have a strong aesthetic preference for one kind or another, so don't limit yourself by breed.

And for affordability, you'll do better with a cross-bred animal from good production stock than you will with a purebred, especially registered, doe.

You will pay more for a doe in milk than for an open doe or young doeling.

FWIW, I got two Saanen x Nubian doelings for a very reasonable price -- better goats than I paid for, IMO -- by being flexible about breed, and picky about good quality animals.

I agree about getting two. If you only want one milker, get a wether to keep her company.

Craig's list and agricultural newspapers are good sources for animals.

Auctions = terrible place for a newbie to buy animals.

 

[Crest Acres Girl]

Please explain Kefir to me and how it works. Do you grow it? Harvest it?
How do you prepare it to injest iT?

Kefir is really easy to grow, google kefir grains and you'll see the little white things that you feed the milk to. Or go to my website and go to the probiotic section.

Basically put the grains in a jar...Pour milk, let it sit for a day, strain and then drink the milk. The milk turns into a yogurt like drink. you can put the kefir milk back in the fridge and you get cold kefir its really yummy and VERY good for you. I feed extra kefir milk to all my pets. Its so easy to make its amazing not alot of people know about it!

oh my gosh I'm sorry Scout for stealing your post!

 

[Scout]

Hey! I've been tryin to decide what kind of milker to get, cant seem to make up my feeble mind so I figured I'd ask the experts and let yall tell me what your prefered breed is. I'm stuck between:

Nubian
Alpine
Oberhalsi (sp)

I need somethin that aint to overly obnoxious, that gives a lot of milk (if the taste varies by breed, what's the best,) and that aint gonna break the bank. I just need one (I've got a couple sheep for companions, would that work?)

Hey Scout, why not look for good-quality dairy breed (including crosses of dairy breeds) does near you, rather than decide on a breed and then look for just that breed?

It doesn't sound as if you have a strong aesthetic preference for one kind or another, so don't limit yourself by breed.

And for affordability, you'll do better with a cross-bred animal from good production stock than you will with a purebred, especially registered, doe.

You will pay more for a doe in milk than for an open doe or young doeling.

FWIW, I got two Saanen x Nubian doelings for a very reasonable price -- better goats than I paid for, IMO -- by being flexible about breed, and picky about good quality animals.

I agree about getting two. If you only want one milker, get a wether to keep her company.

Craig's list and agricultural newspapers are good sources for animals.

Auctions = terrible place for a newbie to buy animals.

Ok, that might be good.... I found someone who has Nubian/boer crosses, I dont know how much milk that would give, but I might try it... what do yall think?

Well, I aint exactly a newbie, I've raised just about everything there is to raise, includin meat goats at one time... Just dont know much about the dairy breeds, so I know mostly what to look for, but most of the time they dont have many dairy breeds come thru auctions at this part of the state, and the ones that do sometimes look kinda scanky LOL.

Crest Acres: LOL Thats alright, it dont bug me none!

 

[pattyjean73]

If you want a milk goat specifically, a nub/boer cross may not be the best option for you. As I understand it... boers don't produce much milk. In fact, often they don't produce enough to support a set of twins. Now I am a newby myself and just bought my first goat (4 of them). I want meat goats specifically... but I also want my momma's to be able to produce enough to support their kids. So I bought a milk goat to cross breed with my meat goats to increase their milk production (in theory). In reverse, I would assume that this crossing would decrease the production of a milker.

Any corrections from the more experienced???

 

[Scout]

Yeah, thats what I thought, when I had boers I always ended up with bottle babies...

Anyway, I found someone else with sanaan/nubian crosses, I think I'll just go over there this weekend and see what there is to see... There 5 months old, so that'll give me a little time to build a stand, get the equipment, etc before its even time to breed 'em, so I'll definately be ready by milkin time LOL... I reckon I'll just breed them to a Boer and eat the kids when there big enough is what I was thinkin. Any more suggestions or comments on that specific cross?

 

[Brandywine]

That's exactly the cross I have -- 3/4 Saanen, 1/4 Nubian.

Can't tell you how they milk or anything as mine are brand new.

But I think I got a really good goat for a reasonable price by getting the dairy cross instead of a registered purebred. I really like them, they have nice temperaments and are not too much mischief yet.

Make sure you see the dam, check out her udders and teats and conformation and condition.

 

[Scout]

That's exactly the cross I have -- 3/4 Saanen, 1/4 Nubian.

Can't tell you how they milk or anything as mine are brand new.

But I think I got a really good goat for a reasonable price by getting the dairy cross instead of a registered purebred. I really like them, they have nice temperaments and are not too much mischief yet.

Make sure you see the dam, check out her udders and teats and conformation and condition.

Ok, well the ones I'm gettin (yep, made up my mind) are 3/4 Nubian 1/4 Sanaan, for less than $100. Cant wait til Saturday to go pick 'em up LOL!

I'll check the dam for sure.

 

[Crest Acres Girl]

If you can check the sire's mother too

 

[Scout]

If you can check the sire's mother too

LOL Ok, will do! Thanks!